Zero the deaf dog a big plus for kid with cancer

Anne M. Amato

Updated 2:44 pm, Monday, April 15, 2013

Marik Tucker, a cancer patient who had to have his right leg amputated last August to stop the cancer from spreading, and his new pet. Earlier this month, Marik and his parents adopted dog, Zero, from the Oxford animal shelter. Zero had been neglected and abused. Since the adoption Marik, who lives in Ledyard, and Zero have become the best of friends.
Photo: Contributed Photo

Marik Tucker, a cancer patient who had to have his right leg...

Marik Tucker, a cancer patient who had to have his right leg amputated last August to stop the cancer from spreading, and his new pet. Earlier this month, Marik and his parents adopted dog, Zero, from the Oxford animal shelter. Zero had been neglected and abused. Since the adoption Marik, who lives in Ledyard, and Zero have become the best of friends.
Photo: Contributed Photo

Marik Tucker, a cancer patient who had to have his right leg...

Marik Tucker, a cancer patient who had to have his right leg amputated last August to stop the cancer from spreading, and his new pet. Earlier this month, Marik and his parents adopted dog, Zero, from the Oxford animal shelter. Zero had been neglected and abused. Since the adoption Marik, who lives in Ledyard, and Zero have become the best of friends.
Photo: Contributed Photo

Marik Tucker, a cancer patient who had to have his right leg...

Marik Tucker, a cancer patient who had to have his right leg amputated last August to stop the cancer from spreading, and his new pet. Earlier this month, Marik and his parents adopted dog, Zero, from the Oxford animal shelter. Zero had been neglected and abused. Since the adoption Marik, who lives in Ledyard, and Zero have become the best of friends.
Photo: Contributed Photo

Marik Tucker, a cancer patient who had to have his right leg...

Marik Tucker, a cancer patient who had to have his right leg amputated last August to stop the cancer from spreading, and his new pet. Earlier this month, Marik and his parents adopted dog, Zero, from the Oxford animal shelter. Zero had been neglected and abused. Since the adoption Marik, who lives in Ledyard, and Zero have become the best of friends.
Photo: Contributed Photo

OXFORD -- It was a perfect match. A young boy being treated for cancer was looking for a dog -- and a dog, who had been mistreated and neglected -- was looking for a family to love him.

Meet Marik Tucker and his new best pal, Zero.

Marik, 10, who lives in Ledyard, was diagnosed with cancer last summer. Zero, an 8-year old German shepherd who was abused by his owner, was rescued by personnel at the Oxford Animal Shelter and put up for adoption.

The Tucker family was looking for a shelter dog -- in particular a German shepherd, and spotted Zero on an animal adoption website, said Sandy Merry, Oxford's animal control officer.

Since Marik goes for treatment at Yale-New Haven Hospital, it wasn't too far for his parents to travel to Oxford earlier this month to check out the dog, said Kelli Tucker, Marik's mother.

"We wanted to see him first and we just fell in love with him and knew Marik would, too," she said.

They brought Marik to the animal shelter two days later. "When we saw the look on his face, we just knew he had to have this dog," she said.

"They bonded from the start."

The two also share something in common. Zero is deaf and Marik is severely hearing impaired, Tucker said.

"My son didn't know animals could be deaf, too," she added.

"He's a lot like me," Marik said. "He can't hear like me and he has had a hard time with stuff, like me."

Tucker said they felt if Marik had a dog of his own, he would focus on his pet and not as much on his illness.

Tucker said that before being diagnosed with cancer, her son was a typical, rambunctious boy. That was evident, she said, when she took him and his younger sister swimming last July at a local pool.

"He couldn't do enough dives," she said. "He did flips, side flips and cannon balls. He kept going and going." That is, until he came out of the water limping, telling her his right leg was hurting him.

"I just thought he pulled a muscle," she said. A few days later he seemed fine, but the pain returned and he was taken to the doctor to find the cause.

An X-ray found not only a small fracture, but also a shadow in the same area. That led to further tests including an MRI and bone scan and then a biopsy. They were told the biopsy found an anuerysmal bone cyst and surgery was scheduled in August.

Thirty minutes into the surgery, Tucker said she and her husband were taken into a small room and told to wait for the surgeon.

A few minutes later, he arrived with the news no parent wants to hear. Their son had cancer.

Intense chemotherapy was started in anticipation of another surgery in November. That's when doctors realized Marik's leg needed to be amputated to keep the cancer from spreading.

It all happened so suddenly -- very quickly," she said. "All you can think of is `am I making the right decisions here?' "

"This is going to affect him his whole life," she said. "No one should have to go through this, especially not a child."

She said they're now coming to the end of his current treatment, but Marik's immune system, like him, is exhausted. "There are a lot of side effects, too," she said. "There's so much he has to deal with."

Some days, she said, her son doesn't want to get up and do anything. "But if I say `put on your leg and go outside with Zero' -- he's up and out," she added.

"Zero is not only my son's pal, but he's a great motivator," she said. "He loves being with the family and wants to sit by you all the time," she added. "He's an absolute sweetie. We couldn't have asked for a better dog."

Merry couldn't agree more. She said Zero came from an abusive situation and was looking for a good home and loving family.

"It seems he found one with the Tuckers," she said.

The Tucker family has set up a Facebook page: www.facebook.com/miraclesformarik There is also a Fundrazr Tab at the top of the page where donations for his medical care can be made.